Posted on 03/08/2009 9:28:57 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham defended earmarks he inserted in the federal budget, including one U.S. Sen. John McCain, Graham's close friend and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, listed as one of the "10 Porkiest" projects in the budget.
Graham has also urged President Obama to veto the budget Graham says has too much pork.
Earmarks are one-time spending items members of Congress insert in the budget that are typically sent to projects and programs in their own states.
Graham earmarked $950,000 for the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. He has by one count 37 earmarks in the federal budget.
"I voted to take all earmarks out, but I will come back in the new process and put that back in," Graham said on the show. "Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, were trying to build an international airport, an international convention center and open up a new interstate highway to diversify Myrtle Beachs economy."
(Excerpt) Read more at thestatecom.typepad.com ...
GREGORY: Now, as Senator McCain pointed out, this is a bipartisan disease. Forty percent of the earmarks are from Republicans. Thats $7 billion. Should the president veto this bill?
GRAHAM: Well, Ill leave that up to the president. We do need earmark reform. I wish he would veto the bill. Wed get back together and come up with the earmark reform process.
Senator McCain does not object to members of Congress designating money to be spent in their state, as long as it has a federal purpose thats transparent and people understand what the moneys going to be spent for and will have a say about whether or not its a good idea.
That system doesnt exist. I think it would be good for the country if the president and Senator McCain could meet, soon -- sooner rather than later, and come up with a package.
Graham is an unspeakable thing.
McGrahamnesty ping!
Graham is an idiot. Fight the islamo-marxist you RINO moron scum.
Hey,remember he is a lawyer by trade as are most of the rest of the DC cabal.This is to be expected from lawyers in politics.
That way, come the next election, they can blame the Democrats but still get credit for helping “their” people.
I do think Graham is an idiot and somewhat odd. But, this question about Republican asking for earmarks while railing against them is idiotic as well.
Why should Republicans unilaterally disarm from asking for earmarks and let the Dems districts suck them dry. I think the position should be, The GOP doesn't support earmarks and would vote to banish the practice from all legislation. But, while it's still a ongoing phenomena, the GOP will fight to make sure it's districts and states receive an equitable share of Federal disbursements. What's so wrong with that?
How big of McCain!
Who gives a hoot what the loser thinks!
Exactly, Republicans pay taxes, too, and anyway, it was Barry who "won," having pledged to eliminate earmarks. Now he's reneged, but that's not the story.
Grahmnesty got his nose unstuck from McVain’s ass long enuf to find a microphone, eh?
How csn SC give us a great Senator like Jim DeMint, and an A-hole like Grahmnisty?
The Law Defends Plunder
But it does not always do this. Sometimes the law defends plunder and participates in it. Thus the beneficiaries are spared the shame, danger, and scruple which their acts would otherwise involve. Sometimes the law places the whole apparatus of judges, police, prisons, and gendarmes at the service of the plunderers, and treats the victim when he defends himself as a criminal. In short, there is a legal plunder, and it is of this, no doubt, that Mr. de Montalembert speaks.
This legal plunder may be only an isolated stain among the legislative measures of the people. If so, it is best to wipe it out with a minimum of speeches and denunciations and in spite of the uproar of the vested interests. - Frédéric Bastiat
Lindsey Graham rino/rat plunderer. Tarred and feathered is too mild.
So, what do you think happened? Dirt, imho. Been marching to their tune ever since.
If he were still voting as a good conservative, I'd lay off the Pandsey crap. But, he's not. And, that's what put him over a barrel to start with, again imho.
Maybe the RATS got something on him.
Well, yes.
Give ya three guesses and the first two don’t count, lol.
Again, imho.
“Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, were trying to build an international airport, an international convention center and open up a new interstate highway to diversify Myrtle Beachs economy.”
That’s fantastic, I’m happy for you. But why don’t you pay for it yourselves?
Graham is inarticulate, but what he should simply say is, "Ideally, we should pass genuine earmark reform where nobody can load up the budget with pork but as it stands, I either recover whatever South Carolina tax dollars I can bring back to South Carolina, or I let the rats run off with all of it for their own states."
How can we fight waste in Government when we have Republicans accounting for 40% of the earmarks? Just like amnesty supporting senators, we need to find all the wasteful spenders also and fight them in the primaries. Either we are a conservative party or we need to go support a smaller party. PRINCIPLES FIRST, Party second!!!!
So he would vote to remove earmarks only to come back and put them back in again? Makes sense...if you're a politician, I guess.
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